CAREGIVER BURDEN AND GENERIC WELL-BEING - OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SAME COIN

Caregiver burden is one of the most commonly used variables in caregiv ing research, both as a predictor and as an outcome. It has been sugge sted that caregiver burden can be measured in terms of discrete dimens ions of well-being and that burden and well-being represent opposite s ides of the same coin. The goal of this study was to explore this issu e further by comparing commonly used dimensions of burden with paralle l dimensions of well-being, both as outcome variables and as predictor s of other outcomes, in a sample of caregivers. The findings suggest t hat burden may tap a unique domain of caregiving outcomes that is not represented by more objective indicators of these effects. Dismissing burden as an unnecessary or redundant construct seems premature.